


Silly love songs

by SweetPollyOliver



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Extended Metaphors, Geralt is frustrated, Humor, Jaskier is evasive, M/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22962715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetPollyOliver/pseuds/SweetPollyOliver
Summary: It's entirely possible to write a love song, perform it publicly in front of the object of your affections, and then hesitate to own up to it when directly called on it. Jaskier exists, he's valid.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 15
Kudos: 193





	Silly love songs

Jaskier became aware of a shadow being cast over his table and looked up from his notebook to find a familiar face glowering down at him.

“Geralt!” he said with a wide smile. “I didn’t know you were passing through this way. Did you hear my performance?”

“The last part of it,” Geralt replied like it was pulling teeth to answer him. 

“Oh that’s a new one!” Jaskier said, ignoring his companion’s constipated expression. “What did you think?”

“Honestly?” Geralt raised an eyebrow and sat down on the bench opposite him. “I have some notes.”

“What really?” Jaskier said. Geralt’s criticism was not usually on the constructive side. He rubbed his hands together, “Wonderful, let’s hear it!” 

“It’s about me,” Geralt said flatly.

“Was that a question?” Jaskier said. “I mean, yes, it is about you. They’re almost all about you. That’s your note?”

“No,” Geralt frowned at him. “What it’s about- that never happened.”

“Artistic license,” Jaskier waved his hand airily. “And anyway, who's to say a bonny wee dairy maid never fell in love with you?”

“This dairy maid and I have a much closer acquaintanceship in the song that I recall ever having with a dairy maid,” Geralt groused. 

“You have to sell people the fantasy,” Jaskier said. “And anyway, dairy maids are very in right now.”

“Is that right?” Geralt asked him.

“It is,” Jaskier replied shortly. “Any other notes?”

“The song is in the first person,” Geralt said.

“Masterfully observed,” Jaskier replied before taking a long draught of his ale.

“You are the bonny wee dairy maid,” Geralt pressed on.

“Well, I mean, the _singer_ is,” Jaskier said after Geralt had moved around to the other side of the table to pat him stoutly on the back as he choked on second rate ale. 

“The singer being you,” Geralt looked at him meaningfully. 

“Only when I’m singing it,” Jaskier said stubbornly. “Anyway, it’s very traditional to sing songs from the perspective of the other gender, Geralt.”

“Why not make it a song about a bonny young goat herd or something? It’s slightly ridiculous hearing you sing about your non existent bosom.”

“Well,” Jaskier paused and bit his lip. “In the song the dairy maid’s love is requited. Albeit briefly. And I’ve known you a long time and, forgive me for potentially making an ass out of you and me, but-”

“What about a bard?” Geralt said, cutting across him. “You can just about pass yourself off as one of those.” 

Jaskier tipped his head to one side. “You don’t suppose that’s a little on the nose? People might talk.”

“People already talk,” Geralt shrugged. 

And it was true, they did. Half of the women he slept with thought they were making a cuckold of Geralt of Rivia, which seemed to thrill some of them and terrify others. 

“So to be clear,” Jaskier said. “Your note is that you think I should get up in front of crowds of people and, in the character of _myself_ , sing about being in love with you?” 

Geralt shrugged again. “Just a suggestion. You always tell me that you welcome my input.”

“Right,” Jaskier said. “Well… thank you. I will take that under advisement.” 

They sat and said nothing for a while. 

“I just-” Jaskier stopped and lifted a curled hand up to rest against his lips. “I worry about this bard.”

“Worry how?” Geralt asked. 

“I worry that he’s going to have his heart broken,” he replied.

“And the dairy maid didn’t?” Geralt said. “The argument could be made that heartbreak is good for business for bards in a way that it isn’t for dairy maids.” 

Jaskier’s face twisted to one side and he tapped against the table top with his knuckles. Geralt was now sitting next to him, facing out towards the bar instead of in towards the table, with his head turned towards Jaskier. 

“Geralt I-” he stopped himself. He leaned forward hesitantly and Geralt tipped his face towards him. He reached out a hand and touched a stubbled cheek. Geralt leaned into his palm and turned his face to press a kiss against it. 

“I have a room,” he said. “If you want to come up, I’ll help you workshop it a bit more.”

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this fic came from my friend's poetry mentor completely and consistently missing that she was not writing certain poems "from the male point of view" but was, in fact, talking about her own wife when she'd say "my wife." I thought writing songs "from the female point of view" the better to thirst after Geralt in public was exactly the sort of thing Jaskier would do and exactly the sort of thing Geralt wouldn't let him get away with


End file.
